10 



absent. After the autumn moidt the male assumes the plumage of the 

 female. In hirds of the year the colour of the' upper parts is still 

 less grey, and almost approaches a dull chestnut-brown. 



The Wliitethroat, or White-throated Warbler, is the commonest 

 species of the genus, and has an extensive range, breeding throughout 

 the whole of Europe, extending southwards to many of the islands 

 of the Mediterranean, and northwards to within a hundred miles of 

 the Arctic Circle. Eastwards its breeding-range extends to Persia, 

 "Western Siberia, and Turkestan. Its winter quarters are Western, 

 Central, and Southern Africa, and probably a few may remain' in 

 North Africa to breed. 



a, b. Ad. St. 



c. Ad. sk. 



d. (S ad. sk. 



e. c? ad. sk. 



f-h. Ad. ; i, k. Pull. St. 

 /. Ad. ; m. Juv. 

 n, 0. (5 $ ad. sk. 



Great Britain. 

 Middlesex (O. Salvin). 



Ay ington, Hants, May 5. 



Pagham, Sussex, Sept. 4. 

 Cambridgeshire. 

 Belgium, Juue. 

 S. Sweden, May and 

 June (Mevex). 



J. Clark, Esq. [C.]. 

 F. (4odman and 0. 



Salviu, Esqrs. [P.]. 

 Edward Shelley, Esq. 



[P.]. 

 E. B. Sharpe,Esq. [P.]. 

 Mr. J. Baker [C.]. 

 Brussels Mus. [P.]. 

 E. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



3. Sylvia hortensis. 

 Sylvia hortensis, Bechst.* 



* The arguments ia favour of retaining the name in common use for the 

 Garclen-^^'al•bler are precisely the same as those which I have endea\onred to 

 bring forward in the case of the Whitethroat. According to the strict letter of 

 the law, Si/lri<i s/mjj/e.r, Lalh., is the name which ought to be used. As before, 

 Latham subsequently ignored his own name' and degraded our bird to the rank 

 of a variety of the MohiciUa hortensis of Ginelin. The latter species is either 

 the female of the Orphean Warbler, or is a phantom species : if the former, the 

 name must be used for the Orphean Warbler, a step wliieh the most faithful 

 adherents of the Association code have not hitherto adopted ; if the latter, the 

 name of Sijlvia hm-fcnsis, Beclist., may be adopted witli perfect propriety. The 

 name of Si/h:ici satmiria, Linn., is obviously out of court, inasmuch as, besides 

 the fatal objection of incorrect definition on the part of Linnaeus, it would have 

 to stand as Linn, nee Bechst., nee Lath., nee Pallas, nee Wolf, nee Naum., and 

 a host of minor authorities. {Conf. Seebohm, ' Ibis,' 1879, p. 312.) 



